Sign up to FREE email alerts from DerbyshireLive - Weekday Derby County FC

When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. OurPrivacy Noticeexplains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Derby County find themselves in familiar territory as we close in on the half-way point of the Championship campaign.

They are fourth on 38 points from 21 games.

It means that for a fifth consecutive year they fill a top-six position at this stage of the season.

Last season they were fifth on 35 points, third with 41 points in 2015-16, third with 38 points in 2014-15 and fourth with 40 points in 2013-14.

So, Derby have been here before and on similar good runs, and so caution among some supporters is understandable.

Derby went on to reach the play offs in 2013-14, losing to Queens Park Rangers in the final, and in 2015-16 when they were beaten by Hull City in a two-legged semi-final.

In the other two seasons, 2014-15 and 2016-17, they fell away after the turn of the year and finished outside the top six.

Derby last won promotion more than 10 years ago and they have fallen short of the finish line on a number of occasions, but there is enough experience in the current team and the squad to suggest they could handle the situation better this time.

They have a number of players with experience of winning promotion including Scott Carson, Curtis Davies, Tom Huddlestone, Matej Vydra, Bradley Johnson, David Nugent, Chris Baird and Alex Pearce.

There is also the experience provided by midfielder Joe Ledley, who has tasted success at Celtic and on the international stage with Wales, and skipper Richard Keogh, who has play-off experience with the Rams.

The average age of Derby's starting XI in Saturday's 3-0 victory over Barnsley at Oakwell was 29.18.